TALK BLOG

Home Cooked for the Holidays: Chef Todd English

Posted on
Dec 10, 2013 10:45am

Chef, restauranteur and cookbook author Todd English joined THE TALK for "Home Cooked for the Holidays." Todd heads up a culinary empire that includes restaurants in New York, Boston, Florida, Alabama, the Bahamas and elsewhere. He is a four-time winner of the prestigious James Beard Award, and the author of four cookbooks, including his most recent, "Cooking in Everyday English." Todd taught us how to make a delicious and elegant meal that would be perfect for a December dinner party or a New Year's Eve feast.

Todd English's Stroganoff with Dreamy Mushroom Sauce

"Mushrooms prepared in the simplest of ways with shallots, wine, and rosemary tossed in a tangle of homemade pasta- this dish truly is dreamy."

Using a Mortar and Pestle, add all seasonings, rosemary, thyme and garlic and grind together well. Slowly add ½ cup of olive oil to dampen and combine together.

Place beef, fat side up, in a large shallow roasting pan. Rub meat with remaining olive oil then spread with Dijon mustard all over. Begin to pat ¾ of the meat rub mixture on the beef, covering it evenly and pressing to adhere. *This step can be done in advance 1-2 days ahead then cover and refrigerate.

Position rack just below center of oven and preheat oven to 450°F. Roast beef uncovered for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325ºF. Roast beef for 1 hour and 45 minutes, then remove from oven and spoon off excess drippings and add more rub to coat. Place back in oven and continue roasting for about 1 hour or until meat thermometer inserted into center of beef registers 120-125º for medium-rare.

Todd English's Spicy Broccoli Salad

"I'm a huge broccoli nut. My mother never had to tell me to eat my broccoli growing up! This recipe is delicious as a side or even as a main dish!"

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

1 head broccoli florets, split in half

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 tsp. Calabrese peppers, diced

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of ½ a lemon

3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp. fine, dry breadcrumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Saute broccoli in hot olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until slightly browned.

Add garlic and cook until toasted, and then add calabrese peppers and cook for 1 more minute.

Remove from pan, and transfer mixture to a bowl, toss in lemon zest, breadcrumbs and lemon juice, and toss well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.